2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[celticinorlando]

Oddly enough, the teams I fear in the East right now are Cleveland, New York and Miami

Not Milwaukee or Philadelphia* anymore (* - assuming Embiid is out the rest of the season)

Never thought I'd say that earlier in the year, felt it was always PHI/MIA/MIL. Yes Indiana will also be a tricky team but I still want to see how they do in the playoffs when the game slows down. Not everyone on that team has much playoff experience either.

If the C's can maintain the 1 seed then that's good for them. CLE/NYK/MIA/PHI/MIL can sort of cannibalize each other in the middle and hopefully we only have to play 1 or 2 of those teams until the Finals. Just got to hope it's not some dreaded path like Miami, then MIL/PHI, then CLE/NY or something like that which would be daunting. Hope for an easy first round and manageable 2nd round.

Cleveland for me. I do not think Miami will be a problem this time around and honestly I think they will be eliminated before they get to the Celtics.

[Celtics2021]

Oddly enough, the teams I fear in the East right now are Cleveland, New York and Miami

Not Milwaukee or Philadelphia* anymore (* - assuming Embiid is out the rest of the season)

Never thought I'd say that earlier in the year, felt it was always PHI/MIA/MIL. Yes Indiana will also be a tricky team but I still want to see how they do in the playoffs when the game slows down. Not everyone on that team has much playoff experience either.

If the C's can maintain the 1 seed then that's good for them. CLE/NYK/MIA/PHI/MIL can sort of cannibalize each other in the middle and hopefully we only have to play 1 or 2 of those teams until the Finals. Just got to hope it's not some dreaded path like Miami, then MIL/PHI, then CLE/NY or something like that which would be daunting. Hope for an easy first round and manageable 2nd round.

Cleveland for me. I do not think Miami will be a problem this time around and honestly I think they will be eliminated before they get to the Celtics.

My only concern with Miami is bumping up against them in the first round and having things go haywire, but it’s a small concern.  Cleveland gives me the most pause, because Mitchell seems to go crazy against us most nights.  I think he really gets up for games against the J’s.

[Vermont Green]

CLE is better than most give them credit for, in my opinion.  Mitchell is a star, better than Brunson for example, and Garland is a very underrated player, who is now back from injury.  I still favor Boston in any series in the East but these other teams are legit.

[celticinorlando]

Oddly enough, the teams I fear in the East right now are Cleveland, New York and Miami

Not Milwaukee or Philadelphia* anymore (* - assuming Embiid is out the rest of the season)

Never thought I'd say that earlier in the year, felt it was always PHI/MIA/MIL. Yes Indiana will also be a tricky team but I still want to see how they do in the playoffs when the game slows down. Not everyone on that team has much playoff experience either.

If the C's can maintain the 1 seed then that's good for them. CLE/NYK/MIA/PHI/MIL can sort of cannibalize each other in the middle and hopefully we only have to play 1 or 2 of those teams until the Finals. Just got to hope it's not some dreaded path like Miami, then MIL/PHI, then CLE/NY or something like that which would be daunting. Hope for an easy first round and manageable 2nd round.

Cleveland for me. I do not think Miami will be a problem this time around and honestly I think they will be eliminated before they get to the Celtics.

My only concern with Miami is bumping up against them in the first round and having things go haywire, but it’s a small concern.  Cleveland gives me the most pause, because Mitchell seems to go crazy against us most nights.  I think he really gets up for games against the J’s.

I think Miami will end up being the 6 seed with the sixers dropping below them. So Boston is the 1 seed, they would not see the Heat until the ECF.

Heat might have to go through the Bucks and the Cavs just to get to the ECF.

[SparzWizard]

Oddly enough, the teams I fear in the East right now are Cleveland, New York and Miami

Not Milwaukee or Philadelphia* anymore (* - assuming Embiid is out the rest of the season)

Never thought I'd say that earlier in the year, felt it was always PHI/MIA/MIL. Yes Indiana will also be a tricky team but I still want to see how they do in the playoffs when the game slows down. Not everyone on that team has much playoff experience either.

If the C's can maintain the 1 seed then that's good for them. CLE/NYK/MIA/PHI/MIL can sort of cannibalize each other in the middle and hopefully we only have to play 1 or 2 of those teams until the Finals. Just got to hope it's not some dreaded path like Miami, then MIL/PHI, then CLE/NY or something like that which would be daunting. Hope for an easy first round and manageable 2nd round.

Cleveland for me. I do not think Miami will be a problem this time around and honestly I think they will be eliminated before they get to the Celtics.

My only concern with Miami is bumping up against them in the first round and having things go haywire, but it’s a small concern.  Cleveland gives me the most pause, because Mitchell seems to go crazy against us most nights.  I think he really gets up for games against the J’s.

I think Miami will end up being the 6 seed with the sixers dropping below them. So Boston is the 1 seed, they would not see the Heat until the ECF.

Heat might have to go through the Bucks and the Cavs just to get to the ECF.

Cakewalk for the Bucks if they draw the Heat in the first-round.

[keevsnick]

I don't really care about standings, other than the C's having the #1 seed. None of these teams should beat the C's in a 7 game series with 4 in Boston.

Barring terrible shooting luck (like vs MIA last year, 30% vs 44% from three for the series), or injuries, C's should win the East.

[SparzWizard]

I don't really care about standings, other than the C's having the #1 seed. None of these teams should beat the C's in a 7 game series with 4 in Boston.

Barring terrible shooting luck (like vs MIA last year, 30% vs 44% from three for the series), or injuries, C's should win the East.

Playoffs are a different animal, and the last two playoffs for the Celtics had been unkind at the TD Garden.

I'll believe it when I see it if they can defend home-court.

[Donoghus]

I don't really care about standings, other than the C's having the #1 seed. None of these teams should beat the C's in a 7 game series with 4 in Boston.

Barring terrible shooting luck (like vs MIA last year, 30% vs 44% from three for the series), or injuries, C's should win the East.

Absolutely.

[keevsnick]

I don't really care about standings, other than the C's having the #1 seed. None of these teams should beat the C's in a 7 game series with 4 in Boston.

Barring terrible shooting luck (like vs MIA last year, 30% vs 44% from three for the series), or injuries, C's should win the East.

Playoffs are a different animal, and the last two playoffs for the Celtics had been unkind at the TD Garden.

I'll believe it when I see it if they can defend home-court.

Sure, but given the way they've played THIS YEAR at home vs road I'd rather they have home court. After all the current play this seaosn is probably the most informative given the new look nature of the team.

[scaryjerry]

I don't really care about standings, other than the C's having the #1 seed. None of these teams should beat the C's in a 7 game series with 4 in Boston.

Barring terrible shooting luck (like vs MIA last year, 30% vs 44% from three for the series), or injuries, C's should win the East.

Sounds like a lot of pressure to me.
Also what a delusional way to go through life thinking the heat won a 7 game series based on “terrible shooting luck”

The Celtics suddenly always have “terrible shooting luck” when the pressure ramps up

[Kernewek]

I don't really care about standings, other than the C's having the #1 seed. None of these teams should beat the C's in a 7 game series with 4 in Boston.

Barring terrible shooting luck (like vs MIA last year, 30% vs 44% from three for the series), or injuries, C's should win the East.

Sounds like a lot of pressure to me.
Also what a delusional way to go through life thinking the heat won a 7 game series based on “terrible shooting luck”

The Celtics suddenly always have “terrible shooting luck” when the pressure ramps up

Miami was historically (and uncharacteristically) hot from deep. You would struggle to find a team that shot threes better than Miami for an entire playoff series.

Interesting tidbit: the team with the best shooting percentage in a playoff game? The 1990 Boston Celtics, who lost to the Knicks in the first round:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199004280BOS.html
(One big difference between Bird and Tatum: when Tatum has an off shooting night, he doesn't end up with 16 potential assists, let alone 16 counted assists).

[keevsnick]

I don't really care about standings, other than the C's having the #1 seed. None of these teams should beat the C's in a 7 game series with 4 in Boston.

Barring terrible shooting luck (like vs MIA last year, 30% vs 44% from three for the series), or injuries, C's should win the East.

Sounds like a lot of pressure to me.
Also what a delusional way to go through life thinking the heat won a 7 game series based on “terrible shooting luck”

The Celtics suddenly always have “terrible shooting luck” when the pressure ramps up

The numbers are what they are. One team shot waaaaay over their talent level, the other shot way under. If that's not at least partially shooting luck I don't know what is.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I don't really care about standings, other than the C's having the #1 seed. None of these teams should beat the C's in a 7 game series with 4 in Boston.

Barring terrible shooting luck (like vs MIA last year, 30% vs 44% from three for the series), or injuries, C's should win the East.

Sounds like a lot of pressure to me.
Also what a delusional way to go through life thinking the heat won a 7 game series based on “terrible shooting luck”

The Celtics suddenly always have “terrible shooting luck” when the pressure ramps up

The numbers are what they are. One team shot waaaaay over their talent level, the other shot way under. If that's not at least partially shooting luck I don't know what is.

Maybe partly. I'm not sure luck can account for an entire series.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I don't really care about standings, other than the C's having the #1 seed. None of these teams should beat the C's in a 7 game series with 4 in Boston.

Barring terrible shooting luck (like vs MIA last year, 30% vs 44% from three for the series), or injuries, C's should win the East.

In theory I want the Cs to have the 1 seed, but that also places more pressure on them to win the title. I certainly don't want to see the Cs do this year what the Bruins did last season.

[Kernewek]

I don't really care about standings, other than the C's having the #1 seed. None of these teams should beat the C's in a 7 game series with 4 in Boston.

Barring terrible shooting luck (like vs MIA last year, 30% vs 44% from three for the series), or injuries, C's should win the East.

Sounds like a lot of pressure to me.
Also what a delusional way to go through life thinking the heat won a 7 game series based on “terrible shooting luck”

The Celtics suddenly always have “terrible shooting luck” when the pressure ramps up

The numbers are what they are. One team shot waaaaay over their talent level, the other shot way under. If that's not at least partially shooting luck I don't know what is.

Maybe partly. I'm not sure luck can account for an entire series.

I had a big post that got deleted because I was logged out, but Miami's 3P performance in the play-in plus the playoffs was very feast or famine. They were about average in the play-in, caught fire against Milwaukee, struggled against New York, caught fire again against Boston, and came back to earth against Denver:
(Column is overall FG%, green line is regular season FG%, yellow line is regular 3P% and black line is 'playoff' 3P%)


Whether it's terrible shooting luck or not, I'm not sure anyone could look at the tape to find significant differences in how to defend Miami from deep between the ways Milwaukee, New York, Boston, and Denever looked to play against Miami.

Always possible I copied a row wrong, of course, but I don't think so. Data is from BBRef.